A copycat of Trader Joe's Cilantro Dressing, this delicious condiment combines fresh cilantro, jalapeño, lime and garlic for a bright, fresh salad topper. Use it for a salad dressing, or a veggie dip. This Lime Cilantro Dressing is whipped up in minutes in your blender for a homemade, quick addition to your dinner.
What Is Cilantro Dressing?
Dressings like this one have become popular in recent years by being served at restaurants like Cafe Rio, and Costa Vida. There also was a popular dressing sold at Trader Joe's.
What Do I Need To Make Lime Cilantro Dressing?
You'll need to add the following to your shopping list:
- mayonaise
- olive oil
- rice vinegar
- cotija cheese
- fresh cilantro
- fresh jalapeno
- garlic
- lime
- salt
Tell Me How To Make It!
Making this dressing is incredibly easy!
- Wash your veggies.
- Seed your jalapeño.
- Add all ingredients to your blender.
- Blend until smooth.
What Should I Serve With Cilantro Dressing?
This is a wonderful salad dressing to keep on hand. You can add it to so many things. The bright and fresh flavor is a nice addition to a simple green salad, but it also goes great with a copycat Cafe Rio Salad with sweet pork. Add pinto beans, cilantro rice, pico de Gallo, and guacamole.
Also add it to your:
How Do I Store This Dressing?
Store this dressing up to 5 days in an air tight container in the fridge. I'm sure you'll have no problem using it up!
I Love Making Dressings! Do You Have Other Recipes?
We sure do! Check out our salad recipes for:
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Cilantro Dressing (Trader Joe's Copycat)
Ingredients
Cilantro Dressing
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup mayo
- 3 oz. cojita cheese or queso fresco
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 jalapeno pepper washed, seeds removed
- ½ cup cilantro leaves washed
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender in order given.
- Process until smooth.
Nicole says
I'm in the middle of making this and I see it's called poblano cilantro dressing, but no poblanos on the ingredients. Is there supposed to be any in the dressing?
Kadee says
Hi Nicole - no there are no poblanos. Originally it had them, and over the years I tweaked the recipe to be like the TJs version and omitted the poblano. So you just caught something I failed to remove. So thank you! I'll fix it up.
Bianca says
Very nice! I used 1 teaspoon of salt (FWIW, 1/2 tablespoon is 1 1 /2 teaspoons), less than called for and thought it was a bit too much. I feel the salt from the cheese (I used queso fresco) is probably plenty enough, and I can adjust the salt on the salad separately. Thank you for the recipe!
Melissa says
So delicious! We tried this tonight and it was a welcome break from holiday gluttony! I made the salad for my husband and I and used it as a side for the kids alongside pasta with a crushed tomato sauce. Thanks for sharing!
Adri says
This looks great, and frankly it is welcome and flavorful break from all the holiday fare! I hope your holidays have been terrific, and all the best for 2015!